I just received my contributors copy of PanGaia #50 in the mail*, and enclosed with the issue is a letter from editor Anne Newkirk Niven explaining that due to a reexamination of “preconceptions” she will be ending PanGaia and merging its content and contributors into newWitch magazine.

“I have recently come to the conclusion that dividing our editorial into one “popular” magazine and one “serious” one is no longer a functional paradigm. What we really need today, I believe, is a single, united magazine – a Pagan journal of record – that covers a broad spectrum of Pagan lifestyle, theology, and community; equally able to profile Pagan celebrities and deeply engage with the issues of being Pagan in a new millennium.”

The new, larger, magazine will be entitled “newWitch: Creating Pagan Community” and will incorporate PanGaia columnists like Judy Harrow and R.J. Stewart, along with the magazine’s “Toe to Toe” department, into newWitch’s existing content (and keeping, I assume, popular newWitch columnists like Isaac Bonewits and Phil Brucato). Niven also claims that by combining these two magazines she’ll be able to get BBI Media’s stable (which includes Sage Woman) back on a regular quarterly schedule. PanGaia subscribers will receive issues of the new newWitch after issue #50 of PanGaia.

While Anne Newkirk Niven’s letter focuses on a personal/editorial epiphany of Pagan unity, there seems to be an unspoken thread of fiscal difficulties haunting the announcement. It is no secret that magazines have been dropping like flies in our current economic crisis, and many of our co-religionists involved with festivals and public events have noticed a general contraction lately. Perhaps, since Niven’s letter started with “in these difficult times”, it is simply assumed that fiscal problems were an element in the merger decision.

As for my opinion of the merger itself, I think it has some merit. I always thought that any seperation between “serious” and “popular” is a false dichotomy, especially when you’re dealing with a community filled with entrepenuers, impressarios, authors, artists, musicians, and activists. When the individual profiled on the cover of PanGaia #49 also appears in a popular softcore comic book co-created by an illustrator who did freelance work for newWitch you know you’re dealing with some blurry lines. As someone who wrote for newWitch for several years I never thought I was writing solely for “newbies” or that my subject matter was inherently lacking in seriousness, just that I was trying to reach out to a slightly younger demographic who were dissatisfied with the cultural options provided by the older guard.

Though I an outspoken proponent of new media, I wish the new newWitch a sustained and healthy existence. Perhaps this new unified editorial mandate will manage to spark a new creative era within the world of Pagan periodicals. Joining newcomers like Thorn in taking a more holistic approach to covering the Pagan world. Could a new relationship with the Internet and new media follow as well? Anything, it seems, may be possible.

* Issue #50 features my article “The Brightest Lights in Our Sky: Today’s Most Influential Pagans”. Between that and this being PanGaia’s last issue, how can you not hunt one down on the newstands?!

There’s a rather entertaining “top 10″ list of grimoires (both fictional and authentic) in a recent Guardian article that has been making the rounds on the Pagan web. What interested me was the entry (coming in at #10) for “Book of Shadows”.

“Last but not least there is the founding text of modern Wicca – a pagan religion founded in the 1940s by the retired civil servant, folklorist, freemason and occultist Gerald Gardner. He claimed to have received a copy of this “ancient” magical text from a secret coven of witches, one of the last of a line of worshippers of an ancient fertility religion, which he and his followers believed had survived centuries of persecution by Christian authorities. Through its mention in such popular occult television dramas as Charmed, it has achieved considerable cultural recognition.”

Now this was obviously a puff piece, not meant for serious scrutiny, but there are all sorts of small quibbles here. First, in this instance it should probably be called “Gerald Gardner’s Book of Shadows”, or the “Gardnerian Book of Shadows”, since all Witches are supposed to keep their own BOS and there are literally thousands of them around today. Secondly, Gardner’s BOS is Wicca’s “founding text” in only the loosest sense of the term (and try telling some other traditional Wiccan groups that Gardner wrote their “founding document”) since the religion is far more about practice (praxis) than text, and many of the rituals and poetry we associate with Wicca today were added after Gardner introduced the book to his group (just think of the additions of Doreen Valiente alone). Thirdly, the modern pop-culture associations with a “book of shadows” have almost nothing to do with Gardner’s book. Charmed is hardly paying some subtle tribute to  “Ye Bok of ye Art Magical”.

This isn’t to say that the Gardnerian Book of Shadows hasn’t been hugely influential on the development of what we now call Wicca, only that the author assigns Gardner’s original book a certain kind of importance and centrality that it no longer possesses. Nor was Gardner some sort of Moses bringing the tablets of Wiccan law down from on high. I was under the impression it was more cookbook than holy writ, added and changed to adapt to the changing times. I’m sure Owen Davies, who has written at some length on witchcraft (and is flogging a new book concerning grimoires), knows all this and was simply trying to put an entertaining list together. What he’s really in trouble for is ranking Wicca’s “founding text” lower than the entirely fictitious Necronomicon!

PS – Thanks to Brendan Myers for tipping me off to this story.

Lately, it seems that every time a dead and mutilated animal shows up suspicion immediately turns towards Santeria and other Afro-Cuban/Caribbean faiths that engage in animal sacrifice. This is despite the fact that academics who study these religions repeatedly claim that randomly mutilating and dumping various dead animals isn’t their style.

“Paul Apodaca, who specializes in folklore, mythology, American Indian studies, and California, Southwestern and Mexican culture at Chapman University, said the inconsistencies in the incidents raises questions. “The different manners of the disposal of the remains of the animals, some careful, others not, some beheaded, some not, some interred with other materials, some not, makes this description seem not to be a Santería ceremony carefully following a ritual but someone with a disturbed personality making personal variations,” he said. “Bona fide religious sacrifices are highly ritualized methods and the remains of the animal are carefully disposed of to preserve the sanctity and affective power of the ritual.” Police said Apodaca is entitled to his opinion, but there’s nothing to lead police to believe the killings are malicious and they are not investigating the incidents.”

So these cops in Newport Beach ignore a warning that a deranged individual could be on the loose because it’s easier to chalk it up to “Santeria” and ignore what could be warning signs of a disturbed mind’s escalation. The Santeria excuse within law enforcement (and animal control) has become so popular that even when it’s blatantly obvious it isn’t a Santero/a’s work officials are hesitant to let go of a convenient scapegoat.

“Denton Infield of Newark’s Associated Humane Society, which is contracted to pick up animals from 30 area municipalities, he said he has seen a large increase in calls from the town of North Bergen to pick up dead and abandoned animals in the township. He said that in his seven years as manager of the shelter, this has never been an issue before … He said his agency has been called to retrieve dead dogs, cats, skunks, raccoons, sheep, and goats throughout North Bergen. Infield said his agency has filed complaints with the New Jersey Department of Health to get to the bottom of the situation … Infield noted that sometimes, livestock like goats are found dead in the area because animal sacrifices are part of the Santeria religion, which is practiced in this area. However, the recent trend seems different because of the other animals found.”

Yes, it “seems” different. Not, is totally out of line with what practitioners of Santeria do, but “seems different”. Since when do African diasporic faiths sacrifice skunks, raccoons, and cats? Either this Humane Society official is wildly ignorant of what normal Santeria sacrifice entails, or is so hung-up on a group that he knows sacrifices animals that he can’t let them completely off the hook. This all makes me wonder how many sadistic teenagers, distrubed adults, and potential serial killers are escaping suspicion and notice because everyone is so worried about what practitioners of Santeria are doing with goats and chickens inside their home.

While the actually holiday of Easter has little to do with pre-Christian traditions, that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some unique blending of Christianity and different folk customs over the years. Time Magazine shares one of the more charming in their round-up of “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Easter”.

“Many of the things you don’t know about Easter have to do with odd, intensely national Holy Week traditions. So why not start off with the most unexpected one — the Easter Witch. In Sweden and parts of Finland, a mini-Halloween takes place on either the Thursday or Saturday before Easter. Little girls dress up in rags and old clothes, too-big skirts and shawls and go door to door with a copper kettle looking for treats. The tradition is said to come from the old belief that witches would fly to a German mountain the Thursday before Easter to cavort with Satan. On their way back, Swedes would light fires to scare them away, a practice honored today by the bonfires and fireworks across the land in the days leading up to Sunday.”

Easter witches! You can lean more about the tradition here, and here. Between this and Italy’s Christmas witch I’m starting to wonder if there isn’t a European Christian holiday somewhere that doesn’t involve some form of witches and children getting presents.

A few stories of note I wanted to share with you, starting with a development that has already been mentioned by a few heavyweights in the Pagan blogosphere, the destruction of altars to Santa Muerte in Mexico. Collatoral damage of the intensifying drug-war in that country.

“Mexican law enforcement won’t say it is targeting the “Santa Muerte.” But last month, army troops accompanied workers who used back hoes to topple and crush more 30 shrines on a roadway in the city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas. Many were elaborate, one-story, marble-clad constructions with electric lighting and statues of the skeletal Death Saint. The sect’s archbishop, David Romo, denounced the destruction as religious persecution and demanded a meeting with President Felipe Calderon … “Sometimes people look down on us because we believe in her, but my faith is bigger than somebody looking down on me,” said America Melendez, a 24-year-old street vendor marching with a red-robed statue of the saint.”

Because Santa Muerte (Saint Death) is extremely popular among those who live in fear of violent death, it is popular both with drug-dealers and the communities plagued by them (though this recent destruction was supported by some local residents and officials). This psychological slash-and-burn tactic against the drug cartels may backfire on the government, making adherents believe the government isn’t interested in protecting their rights or safety.

I don’t know if you heard, but Easter is coming up this Sunday, and there are plenty of “pagan origins of Easter” stories littering the aggregators. But is Easter really “stolen” from the pagans? Christian History looks at the evidence and finds it lacking.

“The first question, therefore, is whether the actual Christian celebration of Easter is derived from a pagan festival. This is easily answered. The Nordic/Germanic peoples (including the Anglo-Saxons) were comparative latecomers to Christianity. Pope Gregory I sent a missionary enterprise led by Augustine of Canterbury to the Anglo-Saxons in 596/7. The forcible conversion of the Saxons in Europe began under Charlemagne in 772. Hence, if “Easter” (i.e. the Christian Passover festival) was celebrated prior to those dates, any supposed pagan Anglo-Saxon festival of “Eostre” can have no significance. And there is, in fact, clear evidence that Christians celebrated an Easter/Passover festival by the second century, if not earlier. It follows that the Christian Easter/Passover celebration, which originated in the Mediterranean basin, was not influenced by any Germanic pagan festival.”

Lest you think author Anthony McRoy is using biased sources, he generously quotes Ronald Hutton’s investigations into the history of Easter, and finds little evidence that Christians were trying to steal Eostre’s thunder. Of course that doesn’t mean that all those eggs and bunnies aren’t “borrowed” from pre-Christian folk traditions, but I think we can rule out wholesale holiday theft in this case.

In a final note, does a sickening crime against a child point to the spread of a growing anti-witch hysteria? A 10-year-old girl reported being beaten and sexually abused by a relative until she confessed to being a “witch”. The suspect, Emmanuel Beavogui, a native of Guinea here on an expired visa, was arrested and the alleged implements of his torture as well as a book on expelling demons was found in his home.

“The girl’s aunt told police that the youngster confided to her that Beavogui was beating her with a stick and accusing her of being a witch. The girl then told police a similar story, saying Beavogui pushed her against walls and recently struck her in the shins with a broomstick, which made her bleed. Police took photos of her injuries. The girl also said Beavogui beats her “until she confesses.” At Midwest Children’s Resource Center, which evaluates alleged child abuse, the girl said Beavogui had often given her baths when his wife was gone. During these baths, he would rub her vagina and scrub it with a plastic mesh — doing it so hard on one occasion that she bled, the girl told a nurse. After getting a search warrant for Beavogui’s home, police found two brooms, a wooden stick, a blue plastic mesh and the book about demons.”

Beavogui seemed cocky concerning his arrest, saying he could beat a “sexual charge” due to being married. He is currently out on bail, and his passport is being held while he awaits trial. The girl is in protective custody. While the abuse of children is always troubling, there seems to be something more here than mere abuse. I’ve noted that some extremist Christian elements lately seem quite comfortable adopting language and practices from the anti-witchcraft/occult hysteria-peddlers in Africa. Mix that with the fear, uncertainty, and doubt spread by the two-bit occult “experts” and concern-trolls and you have a potentially volitile mix that could endanger kids who don’t toe the line. Could the next “Satanic Panic” be focused on the children instead of in alleged defense of them? What happens when some of those quiverfull children don’t want to become culture warriors for their parents? Will they suffer extensive “exorcisms” as some children already have? Or something even worse?

The Associated Press has a profile up of spiritual tours of Egypt that cater to New Age and Pagan clients. The article interviews Heartlights/Wonder Egypt Travel (who work together organizing tours) about their business, and talks to various clients, some who’ve made the journey several times.

“Diane Winkey, 61, who describes herself as 27 at heart, has traveled to Egypt eight times. She keeps returning because she says the ancient sites awaken a dormant part of herself. She describes a moment entering the Temple of Karnak in Luxor and feeling as if Isis, ancient Egyptian goddess of motherhood, was sending her a message. Tears started rolling down her face, and she says was taken back by her strong emotions.”

While an interesting article, I’m disappointed that they didn’t explore the tensions created by a predominately Muslim country hosting “pagan” tour groups who dance, sing, engage in trance-work, and even lay in sarcophagi. We’re only given a small hint that these tours are unpopular with the locals.

“In this predominantly Muslim country, Egyptologist and spiritual tour guide Amro Mounir, 34, said he encounters many Egyptians who criticize his tours for practicing a form of paganism. But Mounir says the tours are about tapping into the energy of the earth and helping people find the truth.”

We have to remember that Egypt is still a place where you can be put to death for the crime of “sorcery”, and Islamic fatwas threaten the safety of the country’s rich archaeological heritage. Are we headed for an international incident if someone decides the “shirk” (polytheism) being tolerated during private tour groups is too great an offense to be ignored? Will the lucrative government-approved tourist trade in Egypt eventually clash with the Muslim leaders who want to see all signs of “paganism” destroyed? It is certainly an issue that needs to be explored.

Blogger and classicist Mary Beard reports back from the annual Classical Association conference and relates her experiences at a talk by noted author Richard Seaford concerning the ancient Greeks and what they can teach us concerning wealth, our environment, and global warming.

“The modern world had bought into the idea of the limitlessness of money, he suggested. The Greeks warned about just that aspect with instructive mythological exampla. What is the myth of Midas except the terrible story of a man whose whole aspirations are focussed on the ‘sign of money’. Greek culture, as Seaford sees it, insisted on the culture of limit. And that has implications for environmental issues too. The modern disregard for the signs of global warming is reminiscent of Greek stories of those who allow their limitless desires to bring about their own destruction (sometimes even when they know what the consequences of their desires wlll be). One of these is the myth of Erisichthon, who first of all destroys a tree in the grove of the nymphs, in such a way that it brings down most of the grove — and then, in punishment, is afflicted with insatiable desire for food in the midst of a famine and ends up consuming his own body. So what can Greek culture do for us in our present dilemmas? It can allow us to see alternatives to our own culture (and cult) of ‘the unlimited’?”

These attitudes shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with ancient Greek culture and religion, after all, the temple of Apollo at Delphi bore the inscription “Meden Agan” (nothing in excess) and the ancient myths are full of punishments for those who are overly greedy or unthinking in their acquisition of wealth, land, or power. Certainly there were/are permitted times of excess, but these are again placed within certain limits, and balanced by forces of order and sobriety. The question remains if we can embrace a new narrative of “limit” regarding our environment in order to avoid a future straight from a Greek tragedy.

ADDENDUM: More on this talk from The Guardian.